Deep Geologic Repositories

Deep Geologic Repositories reviews the success stories of underground waste isolation. It focuses on repositories that did, do, and will permanently and safely isolate dangerous materials from the near-surface biosphere. Complementary topics address the isolation capability of average crustal rock, investigations at one representative underground research laboratory, and the geologic preservation of fission products from Precambrian nuclear reactors. An international cast of contributors presents proven practical solutions to a formerly confounding issue in environmental and engineering geology: What do we do with wastes that retain their dangerous characteristics in human terms forever? The principal answer: Recycling into the lithosphere by “reverse” mining.
Lessons from early site investigations at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant
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Published:January 01, 2008
Abstract
Site-specific investigations of bedded evaporites began at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant site in New Mexico (USA) in 1976, and the first waste was accepted in 1999. Here, we describe and discuss some lessons learned from personal experience.
“Fatal flaws” may not be fatal. Features, events, or processes are sometimes useful exclusionary factors, especially during site selection. Solution chimneys discovered northwest of the site in 1975 were possible vertical pathways for radionuclide transport. Intensive field studies since then have indicated no solution chimneys at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant site. Known chimneys are related to a geologic unit not...
- bedforms
- boreholes
- chemically precipitated rocks
- cross sections
- depth
- Eddy County New Mexico
- evaporites
- fractures
- government agencies
- hydraulic conductivity
- kriging
- New Mexico
- potash
- public policy
- regulations
- safety
- salt
- sedimentary rocks
- site exploration
- solution
- statistical analysis
- U. S. Environmental Protection Agency
- underground installations
- underground storage
- United States
- waste disposal
- Waste Isolation Pilot Plant